Category: etiquette

We have had a few discussions around the Club about a lack of discipline in the field shown by some of the junior teams – fielders wandering out of position between deliveries, not paying attention to the captain when he wants to make changes to the field, even directly questioning and countermanding the captain’s instructions.

There is an issue of etiquette, and acceptable behaviour – it’s simply not cricket to challenge the skipper…and don’t you dare move one of my fielders!

There is a question about experience, and coaching – coaches and team managers need to make very clear what is expected from the players.

There might even be questions about Generation Z entitlement – ‘my opinion is just as informed as yours’.

But there is also the matter of example – I have seen similar behaviour in senior cricket this year, with two or three players (none of them the captain or bowler) resetting the field between balls, even as the bowler is preparing to bowl.

If the U15s see this on Saturday, with adult Captains & players, of course they will do the same on Sundays playing with their peers.

I have a confession. I quite enjoy a little sledging. If the fielding team decide to criticise my batting technique (and I give them plenty of scope for that!) I am generally quite happy to play along.

There is no point getting annoyed, or distracted. A quick response and, 99 times out of 100, back to the game.

As a bowler, I see nothing wrong in letting a batsman know when I think he is lucky still to be at the crease.

And it is a game (at Club level) and I really believe that a little banter doesn’t hurt it.

For the pros, I guess there is “mental disintegration” as deployed by the Aussies (when they were good enough to win without resorting to this, but played the game any way).

I do believe there is a place for “verbals”on the cricket pitch.

But that does not include the inappropriate, unfunny, just plain boorish chatter, that we sometimes have to endure in the name of “sledging”.

My own pet hates and worst “sledges”

“He’s only got one shot” or “he can only play {insert stroke here}” – especially, as I heard it recently, to a batsman who had just cut three consecutive long hops to the boundary, and missed a fourth…what stroke would you like?

One of our Club XIs was missing both skipper and vice a couple of weeks ago, and I was asked to stand-in for the day. After my post on dilatory over rates back in July, I had the unexpected opportunity to see if the Teesra could get a team through its overs at a decent rate.

First innings – 51 overs in a little over 3 hours (17 overs/hour); second innings – 25 overs in 90 minutes (before the final hour’s play – a touch under 17 overs/hour).